15 ways to stay focused in a distracted world

Stuck Moment:I feel like my day is one big interruption. A steady stream of questions, last-minute requests, and texts that just won’t quit. How am I supposed to focus on what I already have to do? And how long can I keep this up?

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Modern life is a minefield of distractions. Ever burgeoning gadgets, games, information sources — even open-plan offices — conspire to divert our attention away from whatever we need to concentrate on. Neuroscientist Frances Jensen recently dubbed this “the dementia of the preoccupied,” referring to how it feels to continually shift her attention throughout the day.“Things fall through the cracks,” she says.

Indeed, our daily frenzy probably is causing us to miss a lot, perhaps without realizing it. Take it one step further, and that fractured focus gets in the way of doing our best, or doing it at all, even when it’s important to us. Instead, the conveyor belt of must-do’s, listen-to-me’s, and sorry-to-interrupt’s compromises our efforts as we push to get through the day.

Exhausting.

If you’re ready to stop pin-balling from one distraction to another so you can get down to business (or life) on a regular basis, it’s going to take a little reworking of your daily habits. We’ve come up with nine practical ways to wrangle your day and another sixmethods to practice staying in the moment. Find the handful of tips that will
give you back the gift of your own concentration.

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR DAY

1.Make a ranked list.Every morning, write
down the most important things you need get done (not everything is the “most
important”). Then order the items, starting with the most pressing. This is your
touchstone to refer to throughout the day. If it’s creeping on 3 pm and your
list remains unattended to, take it as a warning to refocus.

2.Get rid of physical clutter.Too much stuff lying
about can sidetrack you, causing you to waste valuable time sorting through
piles of old mail to find your W2s or looking through 20 blue shirts to locate
one that still fits. Your ability to focus will go up exponentially with each
old video, CD, and concert T-shirt you get rid of. Skeptical? Here are six ways
organizing can transform your life.

3. Get rid of demanding clutter.Do you have after-work
plans every night this week? Cut out commitments that are more obligation than
enjoyment. And while you’re at it, set time restraints on technology. Scientists
believe that the constant stimulation of digital technology (i.e., demands on
our time and attention) undermines our ability to concentrate, think deeply,
and be creative.

4. Establish routines.When
you have a set schedule, you do things automatically, avoid decision fatigue,
and have energy left over for the “macro” issues of your life. Set up a routine
for AM activities (exercising, showering, eating breakfast) and PM ones (doing
laundry, laying out your clothes for the next day, emptying the dishwasher). As
a result you’ll probably notice more ideas and solutions popping into your head.

5. Single-task.Since you began reading
this, did you open another window to Google “takeout Indian food near
downtown,” get up for a snack, and answer an instant-message from a colleague
about March Madness? You may feel like you’re getting more done when you
multitask, but research shows that it almost always takes longer than when you
focus on doing one thing at a time — most people need several minutes to regain
their focus after even a brief pause to check email or Instagram.

6. Buffer your time commitments.Meetings
run long, an accident on the highway adds 15 minutes to your commute, your
cubicle mate wants to show you his vacation pictures. Instead of panicking,
build in some additional time — say 10 minutes — for each item on your
schedule. That way, the 11 AM meeting doesn’t overlap the 12 PM conference
call, enabling you to better concentrate your attention.

7. Go outside.Nature
walks worked
for the Buddha, St. John the Baptist, and Thoreau, and they can also help
today’s harried individual. Studies have shown that strolling in nature — whether it’s a forest, a desert, or just
a small green space with a few trees or some grass — calms the mind and allows us to reconnect
to ourselves.

9. Distraction-proof your workspace.Cubicle-style or open offices
are a breeding ground for reducing our attention span. To minimize
overstimulation, try these four tips: Put a plant on your desk to increase concentration.
Turn your desk or computer screen toward a wall. Get a pair of noise-canceling
headphones. Work earlier or later than everyone else.

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR MIND

10. Worry less.As the
saying goes, worry
is a misuse of the imagination. Fretting about events that haven’t
happened and may never happen prevents you from experiencing the only moment in
life you have any control over: the present. Here are nine+ ways to calm
anxiety.

11. Savor more.In her book Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert pokes fun at a friend who’s always saying, “It’s so
beautiful here! I want to come back here someday!” Instead of fixating on
future pleasures, savor whatever you’re experiencing in the present tense, whether
it’s sipping a latte or listening to a coworker’s idea. Similarly, when you videotape
a concert or take pictures of your food at a restaurant, you’re thinking ahead
instead of focusing on the moment. Put the camera down.

12. Meditate on it.Meditation helps us
learn to control our thoughts so they don’t careen uncontrollably around our
heads. Reaping the benefits doesn’t have to involve hours of cross-legged
sitting in a monastery in Tibet. It can be as simple as taking 100 deep breaths
or doing a five-minute guided meditation like this (free) one.

13. Go with the flow.Is the subway running
late? Did your kids spill Cheerios all over your car? Getting angry when things
go wrong only exacerbates the problem and sidetracks us even further. Going
with the flow means accepting life’s little bumps without becoming derailed by
our emotions. Here are 15 ways to zap your annoyance before it ruins your day.

14. Write down nagging thoughts.Racing, random ruminations
make it harder to concentrate. Your mind doesn’t want to forget what you’re
thinking about, so it reruns them over and over. Break the cycle by writing
down what you’re obsessing about; this will allow you to let go of these distressing
musings and focus (at least for the time being).

15. Look around.This is an easy way to
get yourself into the here and now so you can focus. Several times a day, make
a point of noticing something new in your environment — a window display, how
the days are getting longer. There’s something uplifting about engaging in the
present moment and place.